Photo: Brett Jordan

How do you know if you have a brain virus?

Encephalitis may cause only mild flu-like signs and symptoms — such as a fever or headache — or no symptoms at all. Sometimes the flu-like symptoms are more severe. Encephalitis can also cause severe symptoms including confusion, seizures, or problems with movement or with senses such as sight or hearing.

mayoclinic.org - Encephalitis - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

What are the 12 stages of burnout?

The 12 Stages of Burnout Excessive Ambition. Pushing Yourself to Work Harder. Neglecting Personal Care and Needs. Displacement of Conflict. Changes...

Last updated Apr 19, 2021

What are 8 types of personal protective equipment?

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) safety helmets. ear protection. high visibility clothing. safety footwear and safety harnesses. thermal,...

Last updated Nov 28, 2018

Promotion

Overview

Encephalitis (en-sef-uh-LIE-tis) is inflammation of the brain. There are several causes, including viral infection, autoimmune inflammation, bacterial infection, insect bites and others. Sometimes there is no known cause. Encephalitis may cause only mild flu-like signs and symptoms — such as a fever or headache — or no symptoms at all. Sometimes the flu-like symptoms are more severe. Encephalitis can also cause severe symptoms including confusion, seizures, or problems with movement or with senses such as sight or hearing. In some cases, encephalitis can be life-threatening. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are important because it's difficult to predict how encephalitis will affect each individual.

Symptoms

Bulging fontanel Open pop-up dialog box Close Bulging fontanel Bulging fontanel One of the major signs of encephalitis in infants is bulging of the soft spots (fontanels) of the baby's skull. Pictured here is the anterior fontanel. Other fontanels are found on the sides and back of an infant's head.

Most people with viral encephalitis have mild flu-like symptoms, such as:

Headache

Stiff neck

Fever

Aches in muscles or joints

Fatigue or weakness

Sometimes the signs and symptoms are more severe, and might include:

Confusion, agitation or hallucinations

Seizures

Loss of sensation or being unable to move certain areas of the face or body

Muscle weakness

Problems with speech or hearing

Loss of consciousness (including coma)

In infants and young children, signs and symptoms might also include:

Bulging in the soft spots (fontanels) of an infant's skull

Nausea and vomiting

Body stiffness

Poor feeding or not waking for a feeding

Irritability

When to see a doctor

Get immediate care if you are experiencing any of the more-severe symptoms associated with encephalitis. A severe headache, fever and change in consciousness require urgent care. Infants and young children with any signs or symptoms of encephalitis should receive urgent care. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. From Mayo Clinic to your inbox Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. Email ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Subscribe! Thank you for subscribing! You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry

Causes

The exact cause of encephalitis is often unknown. Autoimmune inflammation, viral and bacterial infections, and noninfectious inflammatory conditions all can cause encephalitis.

There are two main types of encephalitis:

Primary encephalitis. This condition occurs when a virus or other agent directly infects the brain. The infection may be concentrated in one area or widespread. A primary infection may be a reactivation of a virus that had been inactive after a previous illness. This condition occurs when a virus or other agent directly infects the brain. The infection may be concentrated in one area or widespread. A primary infection may be a reactivation of a virus that had been inactive after a previous illness. Secondary encephalitis. This condition results from a faulty immune system reaction to an infection elsewhere in the body. Instead of attacking only the cells causing the infection, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the brain. Also known as post-infection encephalitis, secondary encephalitis often occurs 2 to 3 weeks after the initial infection.

Common viral causes

West Nile virus transmission cycle Open pop-up dialog box Close West Nile virus transmission cycle West Nile virus transmission cycle When a mosquito bites an infected bird, the virus enters the mosquito's bloodstream and eventually moves into its salivary glands. When an infected mosquito bites an animal or a human (host), the virus is passed into the host's bloodstream, where it may cause serious illness.

The viruses that can cause encephalitis include:

What is the slowest bullet?

2mm Kolibri Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy 0.2 g (3 gr) FMJ 200 m/s (660 ft/s) 4 J (3.0 ft⋅lbf)

Last updated Jun 11, 2019

What is the strongest metal on earth?

Tungsten Tungsten, which is Swedish for "heavy stone," is the strongest metal in the world. It was identified as a new element in 1781. It is...

Last updated Oct 11, 2021

Promotion

Herpes simplex virus (HSV). Both HSV type 1 — associated with cold sores and fever blisters around your mouth — and HSV type 2 — associated with genital herpes — can cause encephalitis. Encephalitis caused by HSV type 1 is rare but can result in significant brain damage or death. Both type 1 — associated with cold sores and fever blisters around your mouth — and type 2 — associated with genital herpes — can cause encephalitis. Encephalitis caused by type 1 is rare but can result in significant brain damage or death. Other herpes viruses. These include the Epstein-Barr virus, which commonly causes infectious mononucleosis, and the varicella-zoster virus, which commonly causes chickenpox and shingles. These include the Epstein-Barr virus, which commonly causes infectious mononucleosis, and the varicella-zoster virus, which commonly causes chickenpox and shingles. Enteroviruses. These viruses include the poliovirus and the coxsackievirus, which usually cause an illness with flu-like symptoms, eye inflammation and abdominal pain. These viruses include the poliovirus and the coxsackievirus, which usually cause an illness with flu-like symptoms, eye inflammation and abdominal pain. Mosquito-borne viruses. These viruses can cause infections such as West Nile, La Crosse, St. Louis, western equine and eastern equine encephalitis. Symptoms of an infection might appear within a few days to a couple of weeks after exposure to a mosquito-borne virus. These viruses can cause infections such as West Nile, La Crosse, St. Louis, western equine and eastern equine encephalitis. Symptoms of an infection might appear within a few days to a couple of weeks after exposure to a mosquito-borne virus. Tick-borne viruses. The Powassan virus is carried by ticks and causes encephalitis in the Midwestern United States. Symptoms usually appear about a week after a bite from an infected tick. The Powassan virus is carried by ticks and causes encephalitis in the Midwestern United States. Symptoms usually appear about a week after a bite from an infected tick. Rabies virus. Infection with the rabies virus, which is usually transmitted by a bite from an infected animal, causes a rapid progression to encephalitis once symptoms begin. Rabies is a rare cause of encephalitis in the United States. Infection with the rabies virus, which is usually transmitted by a bite from an infected animal, causes a rapid progression to encephalitis once symptoms begin. Rabies is a rare cause of encephalitis in the United States. Childhood infections. Common childhood infections — such as measles (rubeola), mumps and German measles (rubella) — used to be fairly common causes of secondary encephalitis. These causes are now rare in the United States due to the availability of vaccinations for these diseases.

Risk factors

Anyone can develop encephalitis. Factors that may increase the risk include:

Age. Some types of encephalitis are more common or more severe in certain age groups. In general, young children and older adults are at greater risk of most types of viral encephalitis. Some types of encephalitis are more common or more severe in certain age groups. In general, young children and older adults are at greater risk of most types of viral encephalitis. Weakened immune system. People who have HIV/AIDS, take immune-suppressing drugs or have another condition causing a weakened immune system are at increased risk of encephalitis. People who have HIV/AIDS, take immune-suppressing drugs or have another condition causing a weakened immune system are at increased risk of encephalitis. Geographical regions. Mosquito- or tick-borne viruses are common in particular geographical regions. Mosquito- or tick-borne viruses are common in particular geographical regions. Season of the year. Mosquito- and tick-borne diseases tend to be more common in summer in many areas of the United States.

Complications

The complications of encephalitis vary, depending on factors such as:

Your age

The cause of your infection

The severity of your initial illness

The time from disease onset to treatment

People with relatively mild illness usually recover within a few weeks with no long-term complications.

Complications of severe illness

Inflammation can injure the brain, possibly resulting in a coma or death.

Other complications may last for months or be permanent. These complications can vary widely in severity and can include:

Persistent fatigue

What is the best caliber for survival?

22LR Caliber With 500 rounds of . 22 ammo weighing as much as 100 rounds of AK-47 ammo - and a quality rifle (like the Ruger 10/22) pushing the...

Last updated Jul 20, 2022

What boring tool makes holes in Woods?

Hole Cutters Also called hole saws, hole cutters are used to cut perfectly round holes in metal, wood, and other materials. Oct 4, 2021

Last updated Jul 3, 2020

Promotion

Weakness or lack of muscle coordination

Personality changes

Memory problems

Paralysis

Hearing or vision defects

Speech impairments

Prevention

The best way to prevent viral encephalitis is to take precautions to avoid exposure to viruses that can cause the disease. Try to: Practice good hygiene. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water, particularly after using the toilet and before and after meals. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water, particularly after using the toilet and before and after meals. Don't share utensils. Don't share tableware and beverages. Don't share tableware and beverages. Teach your children good habits. Make sure they practice good hygiene and avoid sharing utensils at home and school. Make sure they practice good hygiene and avoid sharing utensils at home and school. Get vaccinations. Keep your own and your children's vaccinations current. Before traveling, talk to your doctor about recommended vaccinations for different destinations.

Protection against mosquitoes and ticks

To minimize your exposure to mosquitoes and ticks:

Dress to protect yourself. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants if you're outside between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active, and when you're in a wooded area with tall grasses and shrubs where ticks are more common. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants if you're outside between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active, and when you're in a wooded area with tall grasses and shrubs where ticks are more common. Apply mosquito repellent. Chemicals such as DEET can be applied to both the skin and clothes. To apply repellent to your face, spray it on your hands and then wipe it on your face. If you're using both sunscreen and a repellent, apply sunscreen first. Chemicals such as DEET can be applied to both the skin and clothes. To apply repellent to your face, spray it on your hands and then wipe it on your face. If you're using both sunscreen and a repellent, apply sunscreen first. Use insecticide. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends the use of products containing permethrin, which repels and kills ticks and mosquitoes. These products can be sprayed on clothing, tents and other outdoor gear. Permethrin shouldn't be applied to the skin. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends the use of products containing permethrin, which repels and kills ticks and mosquitoes. These products can be sprayed on clothing, tents and other outdoor gear. Permethrin shouldn't be applied to the skin. Avoid mosquitoes. Refrain from unnecessary activity in places where mosquitoes are most common. If possible, avoid being outdoors from dusk till dawn, when mosquitoes are most active. Repair broken windows and screens. Refrain from unnecessary activity in places where mosquitoes are most common. If possible, avoid being outdoors from dusk till dawn, when mosquitoes are most active. Repair broken windows and screens. Get rid of water sources outside your home. Eliminate standing water in your yard, where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. Common problems include flowerpots or other gardening containers, flat roofs, old tires and clogged gutters. Eliminate standing water in your yard, where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. Common problems include flowerpots or other gardening containers, flat roofs, old tires and clogged gutters. Look for outdoor signs of viral disease. If you notice sick or dying birds or animals, report your observations to your local health department.

Protection for young children

Insect repellents aren't recommended for use on infants younger than 2 months of age. Instead, cover an infant carrier or stroller with mosquito netting. For older infants and children, repellents with 10% to 30% DEET are considered safe. Products containing both DEET and sunscreen aren't recommended for children because reapplication — which might be necessary for the sunscreen component — will expose the child to too much DEET.

Tips for using mosquito repellent with children include:

mayoclinic.org - Encephalitis - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

What are wants in life?

Defining needs and wants. A need is something necessary to live and function. A want is something that can improve your quality of life. Using...

Last updated May 6, 2022

What never gets spoiled?

HoneyHoney is the only food that actually lasts forever and never spoils. We can thank nature for the whole process of making and procuring honey....

Last updated Jan 18, 2022

Promotion

Can detoxing cause body odor?

Answer: Yes, detox can make you stink. Body odor from alcohol detox is a side effect of the detox process, but one that should not typically cause...

Last updated Jul 4, 2021

Promotion

Do Humans need other people in order to live?

Human Interaction Is Essential humans and their brains and minds are shaped, and normally function, in continuous interaction with other people.”...

Last updated Jan 19, 2019